Long Time Coming
by etain
Summary: The problem was that he could be just so damn noble. The other one, she supposed, was that she was very possibly much in love with him. Seddie.
1. in which Sam mulls over her situation

_Chapter One_: Monday Night, in which Sam mulls over her situation

"Sorry. It's late, I know. But I just really needed to tell you something," she said, all very quickly with the words rushing out of her fast like a dam breaking. She had been pacing back and forth across his room the moment she had entered and shut the door behind her, but finally, she managed to calm herself down and stop, facing forward and lifting her eyes to meet his in a brave, steady gaze.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and he wasn't sure if it was because he was waiting in anticipation of her words, or if it was due to the chill of the breeze the open window behind him brought inside.

"It's you," she said, her voice rising just the slightest, maybe in awe, maybe in surprise with her realization. "It's always been you, Freddie."

His heart suddenly constricted tight in his chest and it felt like maybe there was not enough oxygen in the air because it was suddenly very hard to breathe. She stared up at him with a shimmering like hope in her eyes, mired together with impatience and expectation of his reply.

Freddie opened his mouth to say something, but when no words came out after a few moments of him gaping soundlessly, probably very unattractively like a fish, she finally broke the silence for him.

"I just, I just wanted to let you know, really quick. I had to let it off my chest, so to speak," she said in a happy, exhilarated sort of rush. She smiled at him shyly and Freddie had, by this time, regained some composure of decency and he returned the smile, albeit with an unusual uncertainty she did not even notice.

"Carly," said Freddie, and he stopped, bit his lip, and Carly's smile grew.

She suddenly stepped forward and opened her arms to bring him into a warm embrace. He patted her back with some awkwardness, but this, too, she did not notice. It had been clear to her, from the day's events, just how much she meant to him. And it had become clear to her, as well, just how much he meant to _her_. It was as though a cloth had been lifted from her eyes and Carly could not even comprehend how she had been blind for so long—how had she not seen earlier the merit in Freddie? How had she missed it?

"You don't have to say anything," she murmured. "There's tomorrow, and I know it's late." She stepped away from him, releasing her hold, and with adoration in her eyes, she stepped up on her toes and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Freddie," said Carly softly, and she turned around and left the room.

Freddie stared at the place where she had been standing not a second earlier before he collapsed onto his bed, bringing his hands up to his head, running them through his damp hair. The sweat which had gathered at his brow chilled in the absence of her presence, and though he suddenly found it easier to breathe, Freddie's heart still felt uncomfortably tight to an almost painful degree.

There was a rustling noise as the curtains of his window were pushed aside and Freddie did not bother to turn around to check what it was. Instead, he twisted his body further away from the window. He did not want to see her. Just the thought made him feel sick, but it did not matter what he wanted because she plopped herself down next to him and gave him a hearty pat on the back.

"Why so glum?" she exclaimed jovially, an ironic twist in her smile.

Freddie exhaled a breath before he opened his eyes.

"Sam," he started, but she interrupted him before he could go any further.

"Cheer up, Fredward," said Sam. "It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," said Freddie, after a beat of silence, and his heart felt like it was squeezing tighter and the words felt nothing but empty to him. "But—"

"Then it doesn't matter," said Sam serenely, but with a firmness in her voice which made no room for argument

Without another moment's hesitation, Sam stood and climbed back outside through the window. She took once glance back at him and said, "Later, Freddork" before her head disappeared out of sight.

She was gone, and Freddie's heart did not grow any lighter. Instead, it continued to feel heavy and heavier. He could not believe after all this time, Carly finally wanted him. And he wasn't even sure if he really wanted her anymore. In fact, he was pretty sure he didn't. He was pretty sure he wanted _Sam_. And now, considering how Sam had just reacted to Carly declaring feelings for him, he was sure Sam did not return whatever he felt.

Freddie leant back down on his bed and reflected on how screwed up his life was.

But if Freddie had stepped outside to the fire escape, he would have seen Sam, sitting with her back against the wall, an expression of absolute misery on her face. He would have seen her taking great care to even her breathing and still her ever-beating heart, mulling over the events in her head with a bitter resignation quite unlike her.

Sam decided she was angry. The problem was that sometimes Freddie could just be so damn noble. She would not be in this situation if he could have managed to keep his heroic sensibilities inside his head and outside of the real life, making saves like some knight in shining armor. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ Freddie. Didn't he know by now he was supposed to leave the saving Carly to her?

Sam snorted and wiped away at some wetness in her eyes.

Sam decided she was angry, but really, she did not feel angry at all. Not even close. Really, she just felt very, very sad.

The real problem, she supposed, was that there was a possibility she was maybe perhaps in love with him.

Sam closed her eyes.

Not anymore, she decided. Whatever she thought she was feeling, whatever she had felt earlier, it would have to stop.

As of now, Sam Puckett did not notice Freddie Benson had grown into his looks within the last two years in such a way which may not have made every girl in school drool when looking his way, but certainly did not make her heart flutter in her stomach now and then when she caught sight of him in the hallways. Sam Puckett did not nurse burgeoning feelings for her worst frenemy and she certainly did not make out with him in closets when no one else was watching. Hell, Sam Puckett had not been making out with Freddie Benson moments before one knock on the door by one Carly Shay, and as such, Sam Puckett certainly did not care at all that it seemed as though her best friend and the boy she was not in love with were going to get together, maybe marry, and have a billion babies.

If anyone asked, Sam Puckett's heart was not breaking. No, no, not at all.

* * *

AN: A newfound love (obsession) for iCarly and all things Sam has taken away the past couple of days of my life. She's just so cute! and Freddie is just so cute! and Carly, too, is just so cute! So this is just the start to a short three/four-parter that hopefully you will enjoy reading. :)


	2. discoveries are made

_Chapter Two_: earlier that Monday, discoveries are made

"Freddie, you're being called to the principal's office," said Mrs. Tam after briefly scanning the note the office aide had handed to her.

Freddie frowned. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out if there had been any signs within the last couple of days to Sam doing anything wrong—undoubtedly, Freddie alone would have had no reason to go to the principal's office, but he couldn't think of anything. The matter of fact was that Sam had actually been relatively tame in recent weeks. He had chalked it down to there being only another week or so before the end of school and the start of their last summer before senior year, but now he wondered, with some fear, whether she had actually been waiting until the last moment for something amazing and awesomely terrible.

"Well? Are you going to keep Principal Franklin waiting?" asked Mrs. Tam with an expectant eyebrow raised at Freddie's remaining seated. The office aide had already left the classroom after delivering the note and Freddie had not even noticed her leaving.

"Uh, yes. Sorry," said Freddie abashedly and stood up quickly from his desk.

He took his time walking to the office, lost in his thoughts as he struggled to find some reason to why he was being called. He felt a dread recoiling in his gut and he hoped—hoped _hoped_ Sam did not involve him in one of her antics—he really did not need any more demerits in his record and—"_Gah_!" he gasped as he was pulled mid-step into the darkness of one of the janitor's closets in the halls. He stumbled blindly, the door slamming shut behind him. In another instant, a light switch was flipped and he could suddenly see.

"Freddie Benson being called to the principal's office? I didn't think you had it in you," said Sam with mock astonishment, smug self-satisfaction curling her lips and lifting her chin up in the air.

"Now how did you pull that off?" said Freddie coolly. All of his surprise had melted away at the vision of blonde before him.

"Mama has her ways," said Sam, grinning at his bemusement. "Now I figure we have, oh… ten maybe fifteen minutes before you ought to scurry back to Physics."

"Stalker," said Freddie.

"Take that back," Sam demanded, her lips pursed into a frown.

"Make me," he said challengingly.

Sam growled and Freddie simply raised his eyebrows in return. Within another second, both were attacking each other fervently, their lips clashing fiercely together. Something, maybe a broom or mop, crashed to the floor with their hasty movements—Freddie's foot kicked against the handle as he was slammed against the closed door.

He let her dominate him for a few moments, one of her small hands pressing his shoulder firmly against the door, while she tugged her other one through his hair. And then, after Freddie decided she had had her moment, he broke the kiss. He slid his hands around her ribcage and lifted her up, took two steps forward, and placed her down on her butt on the small table in the back. The suddenness of the action had taken her by surprise and now Sam was ready to fight back, but Freddie had taken her slim wrists and gripped them tightly above her head.

"Face the facts, Puckett," he said, a little smirk gracing the curve of his lips. "You're just a tiny blonde."

Sam merely snorted, not at all fazed by the sudden shift in position.

"Yeah? Well I'm still stronger than you," she said, and then with an unearthly strength befitting a girl of her petite stature, she broke her hands free from his and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling his face to hers in another searing kiss.

Freddie didn't seem to mind the easy capitulation of his dominance. Instead, he deepened the kiss, running his hands down the curves of her sides.

* * *

"Hey Carly," called Freddie when he spotted his brunette friend walking just a little ahead of him. She stopped in her steps and he burst into a quick run until he caught up next to her.

"Hi," she said tonelessly, not bothering to throw a glance towards his direction. "Where's Sam?"

Freddie frowned, immediately noticing Carly's demeanor. Her eyes were hooded and a little red, and she didn't even attempt a fake smile as she usually did when something was off. "No, but I'm sure she'll turn up soon," Freddie answered but his attention was centered on Carly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Carly offhandedly, and now she attempted a smile. It came out strained.

"Carly," said Freddie. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You are _not_ okay. What happened?"

Carly sniffled and opened her mouth, maybe ready to unload, but before she could get a chance to do so, another boy walked by the two and as he did, he turned towards Carly and made a little cough and said something that sounded a lot like a very derogatory term to Freddie's ears. Except, Freddie knew there was no way anyone would say _that_ to Carly, of all people.

"What was that?" Freddie exclaimed, affronted on her behalf and confused with her lack of surprise.

"It's a slut-sneeze," Carly answered, her voice wavering. "I've been getting them all day. In class. On my way to class. On my way out."

"Why would they be giving you slut-sneezes?" Freddie asked, still confused and disbelieving.

"You remember that party at Kevin Holt's," said Carly bitterly.

Freddie remembered. He and Sam were trying to make out without being caught, which wasn't really _too_ hard, and then at some point before the night was over, Sam's phone had started ringing and it was Carly, saying she wanted to go home. She had been standing outside of the house on the lawn, looking a little upset, but no matter how Sam prodded her for answers, Carly said she was fine and was just feeling sick. Neither Sam nor Freddie really believed her, but Carly didn't seem like she wanted to make a big deal of whatever was wrong, so they let it slide.

Now, blood was rushing through Freddie's veins. Or maybe it was anger. He wasn't sure, but Carly looked like she was on the verge of tears, so he calmed himself down. "What happened?"

"Well, during one of those times I lost you and Sam—" Freddie felt a twist of guilt in his gut "—I started chatting up with Andy Reese before you two found me."

Freddie vaguely recalled seeing Carly talk to some guy when he and Sam had gone looking for her again after a brief make-out session in one of the bathrooms. Carly had seemed a little disappointed at their interruption.

"Yeah well, then later on, you wanted to find Shane to ask him something and after you left, Sam wanted to get another drink, but you know, I don't really like drinking that much and so I told her I was going to say hi to some people instead," Carly continued.

Sam did know Carly didn't like to drink, which was why she was always 'getting another drink' when she was escaping to find Freddie. It was never a big issue leaving Carly on her own for a few moments here and there. Carly was popular and had lots of friends, and she never had a hard time hanging out with other people at parties, and Sam and Freddie were never gone for long anyway. And yet, apparently, something _did_ happen, and Freddie felt another sharp twist of guilt tearing his insides.

"I spotted Andy and we talked some more, and I don't know how long we talked, but when I spotted Sam, I led him away because… you know. Andy's cute. I wanted to talk with him longer, and so we went to one of the rooms."

Freddie's heart stopped. "Carly," he interrupted her, and she looked up at him. "Did he—"

"No! No," Carly answered immediately, when she saw how concerned and serious Freddie looked. "Nothing like that."

Freddie felt a breath of relief, but he glanced at Carly and saw her distressed state and he remembered his anger.

"Well, as soon as the door closed, he was all over me and I was just, I was totally grossed out. Seriously. I told him I wasn't that kind of girl and he got all mad and called me a tease. So I called him a… it wasn't a good thing, but I was angry too. And that's when I called Sam," said Carly, her voice rising during her explanation.

"So how does this lead to you getting slut-sneezes all day?"

"Apparently, I guess, Andy's been telling people I gave him a… a… ah—you're a guy, Freddie! You can figure it out! And in the boy's bathroom, no less!" Carly's cheeks were red, and she looked a mixture of indignant and ready-to-burst-into-tears.

The latter won out, and Carly started to sob. Full-out sobbing. Big, fat tears streaking her mascara, nose sniffling, spotty red cheeked, really unattractive sobbing. And Freddie stared at his long time best friend crying her heart out, and he was unsure of what to do. Freddie once wanted to marry this girl, and for good reason, too. Carly was pretty, talented, and funny, but more importantly, she was such a sweet soul, such a good person, and it boggled him that anyone in his right mind would want to hurt her—and Carly was _hurting_.

All logic flew out of his head—his whole mind, for that matter. Because next, Freddie found himself turning away from Carly and stalking his way in the corridors towards outside the cafeteria, towards the tables he knew Andy and his friends ate, and he wasn't really sure why he was doing this—_oh_! Because Freddie suddenly picked Andy up by the shirt, and whatever he was saying didn't even register in Freddie's ears. Instead, he threw Andy to the floor. In quick succession, Freddie picked him back up and slammed the astonished boy against the table, this time, locking him a hold Freddie wasn't even sure how he knew, but later when he asked himself 'how?' he figured it had to be from all his years of wrestling with Sam and their more recent make-out sessions.

"What's your deal?" Andy cried out angrily as he struggled against Freddie's grip.

"My deal," Freddie grit out between his bared teeth, "is that you are so low you are spreading lies to heal your little bruised ego when Carly wouldn't take any of your chiz at Kevin's party."

"What? That slut put you up to this?" Andy managed to say between gasping breaths.

In response, Freddie shoved Andy against the tabletop even harder. And then Freddie leaned in, close to Andy's ear, and whispered in it so only he could hear. "Being president of the AV club, it can be interesting the things you catch on video. Once, I had to work on something so I snuck in at night, and lo and behold, I saw a person—a student, actually, spray-painting something interesting on one of the classroom doors."

Andy's face whitened, his smile frozen off his face.

"You're hoping for a football scholarship next year, aren't you? Maybe it wasn't you. Maybe I should ask Principal Franklin who he thinks the person in the video looks like."

There was in actuality no video, and Freddie was never there that night to witness the said event. In fact, he never snuck in school grounds at night as he didn't really like to break rules unless absolutely necessary, but the identity of the perpetrator of the crime had been sort of the school mystery for the last month and that Freddie even knew it was Andy was grounds enough to believe him. Everyone went home on Monday only to return to school on Tuesday to be bombarded with lewd messages and vulgar drawings on many of the classroom doors and some of the lockers. Word was it had cost thousands to professionally have everything completely repainted, not to mention the number of angry letters from parents.

Freddie himself only knew who it was because once when he was alone with Sam and he wondered aloud who had done the deed, Sam had frankly answered, "Andy Reese on a lost bet", and when Freddie asked how in the hell Sam knew who, she had simply given him a look and said Mama knew exactly when, who, why, and how crimes on her turf were being committed at all times. Freddie had never thought the little tidbit of knowledge would ever come in use, but apparently he was wrong.

"What do you from me?" asked Andy, desperation whining frantically in his voice.

"Tell them the truth," said Freddie, and he let go of Andy and stepped away from him.

Andy swallowed and faced the watching crowd which had gathered around the scene.

"Carly Shay never went down on me in the boy's bathroom," Andy said in a strained voice.

"Tell them what happened at the party," Freddie ordered.

"Carly Shay and I talked a little at Kevin's, but nothing else," said Andy quickly.

"You could do better," said Freddie.

Andy scowled, but when Freddie made a motion, Andy immediately cried, "I tried to hook up with the little tease and she said no! There! Happy now?"

Freddie frowned at the fact Andy called her a tease, but he got the job done so Freddie nodded his head. Andy swore angrily as he readjusted his clothes and stalked away from the scene, ignoring the dirty looks girls gave him and the insults some of the guys called as walked away. A few of the students congratulated Freddie and Wendy smiled and said he was such a decent guy, but the crowd mainly dispersed back to whatever they had been doing before the whole fiasco, until only one remained, standing several feet away from him.

Her eyes were huge and her lips slightly parted. She swept back some of her hair behind her ear, and then she smiled. Freddie smiled back at her and walked up to her.

"That was…" Carly's voice trailed off in her wonderment as she tried to find the right words to say.

"I can't really believe it myself," he admitted. He looked over her and asked, gentle concern in his eyes, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you," said Carly, nodding her head. Her dark eyes remained directly on Freddie, amazement clear in every one of her features. "Just, wow. _Wow_," she breathed.

Freddie chuckled a little, his cheeks tinted pink from a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment "You sound so surprised. What? That little ole me could stand up to Andy Reese?" he said jokingly.

"No, of course not, Freddie," Carly immediately interjected. "I just can't believe you did that for me."

"Of course I did, and I would do it again. Carly, you're my best friend. I would take on a hundred Andy Reeses for you," said Freddie in frank honesty. He grinned and motioned at her to come along inside to the cafeteria.

"You really would," Carly murmured softly, and she stared at him like she never saw him before. It was amazing how long she missed what was right in front of her all this time.

* * *

Freddie was only a little surprised when he got home from the library, headed straight to his room and threw down his bag to the floor, to spot Sam lounging on his bed. He jolted in surprise, but got over it in a heartbeat. A wide smile took place in an instant and Freddie clicked the door shut and turned its lock.

"I haven't seen you all day," said Freddie casually. To be exact, not since their impromptu gathering in the janitor's closet during fifth period physics, but who was taking note of such details anyway?

"Yeah, well, I've been around," said Sam, waving a hand in the air. She pulled herself up and faced him. Freddie felt his spine crawl when he noticed a strangeness in the way she looked at him, one he was not used to. It took him a second to realize the strangeness was in the fact she was smiling at him, and only smiling—no challenging smirk or mocking curl, but a genuine smile that was… almost… _gentle_. Sam Puckett's lips were curved in a gentle smile. For him.

Freddie liked it.

"You were real great today," she said. And then she stood up and closed the distance between them in five steps. Freddie's heart was pounding and even though he had kissed her a billion times now, he still felt the greatest of shocks when Sam brought her lips down to his in a soft kiss which reminded him of the very first one he ever had.

Freddie then shocked himself when he returned the kiss just as gently. He skated a hand down her back very slowly, his fingers playing with the strands of her gold curls, and Freddie closed his eyes, letting himself take in the moment.

The moment in the janitor's closet was worlds apart from the moment now. There was no insistent tugging here and there, no battle of tongues or hastiness in their actions—and Freddie enjoyed all of that, but he could not believe he was even sharing something like _this_ with Sam. He had never known it to be possible, and hell, he never knew he had ever wanted it until it happened. But now…

It struck him.

He wanted this. He loved the thrill of making out with Sam in secret, finding spots of time when no one was looking, but now it occurred to him, he wanted _more_. He wanted to see that soft smile again, feel that softness on her lips when he took them, and that softness in her eyes when she looked at him.

Freddie had been too lost in his thoughts and reveling in Sam he had not even noticed they had made their way across his room until she suddenly buckled backwards as his bed hit the back of her legs. He fell on top of her and both were stricken for a moment. She gazed at him with wide unblinking eyes and Freddie stared back.

And then he lowered his lips to hers again.

All he could think of was Sam and how much he wanted her, and the thought made Freddie break the kiss and she stared up at him, puzzled.

"Sam," said Freddie, his breathing more of a pant. "Sam," he said hesitantly, trying to build up the courage but unsure of how to start, because never once before had either ever referred to their little trysts in any definite matter. And if they had never even mentioned _kissing_ when they were in private, the mere mention of feelings had to be taboo.

"You know—"

A knock at the door grabbed their full attention and Sam hastily pushed him off of her before making her way out the window.

Freddie inwardly groaned at the interruption from his mom, but simultaneously, he felt a slight relief—what would Sam have done if he had finished what he was about to say?

"Mom, jeez," said Freddie as he pulled open the door after unlocking it.

He stopped short.

"Carly," he said.

She smiled nervously at him

* * *

AN: i'm glad you guys enjoyed. :D This chapter's much longer then I expected--I meant to just write a short chapter to explain the events preceding, but it grew out of its own accord.

L&H: if Freddie had gone outside, it would probably have been a oneshot. haha. So maybe it is good he did not.  
doornumberthree: The noble part should make more sense now, but yes, Sam is being noble, but I don't think she sees it that way. She just loves Carly so she wants her to be happy even if it means making her less happy.  
ReaderExtraordinaire: Thanks! I think for a kid's show, iCarly has more well-written fic than other kid's show fandom.  
LOVE ALWAYS TY: I really dislike writing first person, so I'm glad you think so.  
D R O W N-I N-S E Q U I N S: I actually don't like triangles! haha. But, it worked for this fic, so it's written in at least a little. Though I will probably resolve it with less pain than most of the love triangle fics. I just want everyone to be happy!

Thanks for reviewing! :)


End file.
